Moksi’s third studio album “Moksi Crew” marks a pivotal chapter in his career thus far and the first time he has spearheaded a production as a solo endeavor. No longer a duo, Samir continues the Moksi legacy solo following the departure of Diego Stijnen, his former partner of eight years. Their partnership, which blossomed from a chance meeting at a house party, came to an end as Stijnen decided to pursue a solo career, leaving Samir to navigate the Moksi brand into its new chapter.

The album is a finely curated assembly of 12 tracks that prove Samir’s prowess and readiness for going solo, reflecting a fresh sound that roots itself in house but explores the domains of bass and techno and weaves them together with ease.

The album kicks off with “The Treble” in collaboration with Mike Cervello, setting the stage with its minimal tech house beats that gradually meld into funky melodies. As the album marches on, tracks like “Killer Flex” featuring Bok Nero, push a genre-blending ethos, where hip-hop vocals meld seamlessly with the underlying beats. “Me to Blame” stands out as one of the album’s most bumping tracks, riding on a tide of bass underscored by mechanical synths, stabbing flourishes, and distorted vocals. The album then transitions into tracks like “Gimme Bass” and “Black On Black” that further exemplify Moksi’s knack for creating sounds that are both diverse and cohesive.

The closing track “There Is Life” is a techno gem, wrapping things up with its spoken word riffs, providing a fitting finale to an album that is a riveting ride from start to finish. Each track on the album is a showcase of the now solo project’s ability to traverse different musical landscapes while retaining a signature sound that is unmistakably his own.

Moksi had this to say about the album and his new solo career;

“When I started Moksi in 2015, I never would’ve thought it would turn out to be such a versatile act. While pioneering the bass house genre, I quite organically expanded my sound to a much wider range within dance music. Touching on house, tech house, melodic house, deep house, and techno. For the “Moksi Crew” album, I wanted to keep building on all those influences. The goal was to make an album that reflects me as an artist while challenging the popular sounds within today’s house music revival. I approached the production process quite technical for what I’m used to. All to find interesting new sound design techniques to make it sound different from other music I’ve been working on in the past. It was so fun to actually get my hands dirty and rediscover myself. My goal as a producer is never to reproduce other people’s sound or to release music that connects easily to the masses. The contrary is true; I want to make music that pushes a sound forward. Music that builds on the shoulders of all the house music giants that came before me. The goal should always be growth, never success, because success is the thief of ambition. With that in mind, I hope this album will add to the ever-evolving story of house music.” 

The album is an embodiment of that growth, a manifestation of Moksi’s evolving sound that stands at the cusp of the familiar and the exploratory. A meticulously crafted output that lives as a compelling blend of the old and the new.

Categories: Music